Every year, thousands of families lose their SNAP benefits—often because of small mistakes they didn’t even know they were making. These aren’t just frustrating headaches; they can lead to serious hardships, overpayments, and even permanent disqualification from the program.
If you rely on SNAP to help put food on the table, it’s incredibly important to understand the common pitfalls and how to avoid them. Some mistakes are minor and easy to fix, while others can result in lifetime bans. Let’s walk through them together.
Missing Paperwork
The most common reason people lose SNAP benefits is missing required paperwork during recertification. Every 6 to 12 months, you’ll need to go through a review process to keep your case open. If you’re over 60, disabled, or have no earned income, you may qualify for an extended 3-year certification through the Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP).
To avoid this mistake:
- Keep your mailing address up to date with your caseworker.
- Watch for letters and respond to all requests before the deadline.
- If your case closes, reapply as soon as possible—it’s fixable.
Household Size Issues
One of the trickiest parts of the application is reporting your household size correctly. For SNAP, a household includes everyone you live and prepare food with—not just who lives in your home. That means roommates don’t always count, but romantic partners or kids likely do.
To stay on track:
- Report changes if someone moves in or out.
- Be honest and accurate—intentionally lying about your household size can be considered fraud and lead to disqualification.
Income and Asset Reporting Confusion
Most SNAP recipients fall under simplified reporting, which means you only have to report income changes if your total household income goes over 130% of the Federal Poverty Level. You must report that by the 10th of the month following the change. Some groups—like seniors, disabled individuals, and people with no income—may fall under change reporting, which has stricter requirements.
If you’re in a change reporting group, you need to report:
- Any new income source.
- Any increase or decrease in household income over $100.
- Child support, utility costs, rent/mortgage, assets, and more.
Important: Honest mistakes are not treated as fraud. If you simply misunderstood the rules, you may have to repay overpaid benefits, but you won’t be penalized further.
Child Support Noncompliance
Only a handful of states require cooperation with child support enforcement. These include:
- Alaska
- Florida
- Idaho
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Nebraska
- South Dakota
Even in these states, good cause exemptions are available—especially in situations involving domestic violence or safety concerns.
Tip: Ask your state SNAP office about your obligations and whether an exemption might apply.
Not Meeting Work Requirements
If you’re an able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD), you’re expected to work or engage in approved activities (like school or volunteering) for at least 80 hours a month. New rules are expanding this requirement to people under 65 in many states.
Failing to meet this requirement can result in time-limited benefits or disqualification.
Letting Your Card Go Inactive
If you don’t use your EBT card for about 9 months (274 days), your account can be closed and any unused benefits may be lost. This especially affects people who get small amounts of SNAP and save up for bulk purchases.
To keep your benefits active, make sure that you make small purchases regularly, even if you’re saving up for something bigger later.
Intentional Program Violations (IPVs)
This is the most serious stuff—and it can get you banned from SNAP, permanently.
Examples of IPVs include:
- Lying on your application.
- Buying or selling SNAP benefits for cash.
- Using someone else’s EBT card.
- Applying for benefits in more than one state at the same time.
- Purchasing non-eligible items (like electronics or clothing) with EBT.
Some influencers online share illegal tricks and EBT glitches. Don’t fall for it. Even if a retailer mistakenly allows a purchase, you can still be held responsible if you knowingly break the rules.
Penalties for IPVs range from 12 month suspensions to full lifetime bans from the SNAP program. Learn more in our Intentional Program Violations alert.
Relief Recap
Understanding these rules can feel overwhelming, but being informed is your best defense. If you’re ever unsure about your reporting requirements or need help with paperwork, don’t hesitate to ask your caseworker or contact your local SNAP office.
With the new rules changing with people that don’t have children and you will be required to work how is this going to affect homeless people?
If they’re living in a tent or streets they don’t have access to showering regularly or have clean clothes.
This concern weighs heavy on my mind and it’s mostly because I grew up in a family that most of the time we went without food.
Thank you for sharing this—it’s such an important and heartfelt concern. You’re absolutely right that these changes could have a serious impact on people experiencing homelessness, and access to basic needs like hygiene often gets overlooked. We’ll keep covering updates on these policies and how they affect vulnerable communities, because everyone deserves dignity—and enough to eat.